Paint removal

[Kat183]

I live in a 3 bed 1930s semi detached I got my house painted and the area on and below DPC was painted in Zinsser all coat.

I am now trying to remove this paint so I can get it repointed in lime mortar and make it breathable. Then get a aco drain fitted due to floor level.

I have used home strip and left it on over night but the results are poor. Would you advise paint panther or peel away 1?

Due to it being lime mortar I don’t want to cause any unnecessary damage.

I need to also remove it at the front of the house. I was advised to dig a trench and fill with gravel as well as remove paint- is this right? I have attached picture of this too

 

[yorksbuilder]

Find a local exterior cleaning company who have a doff steam cleaner, this has a gentle action and may be able to remove that paint a lot faster and cleaner than you can.


Trench & gravel, we cant tell where your DPC is if there is one or if this will help or not, but it wont do any harm

 

[Kat183]

Thank you

 

[Kat183]

Find a local exterior cleaning company who have a doff steam cleaner, this has a gentle action and may be able to remove that paint a lot faster and cleaner than you can.


Trench & gravel, we cant tell where your DPC is if there is one or if this will help or not, but it wont do any harm

Thank you,

If I can do the job myself I will to save some pennies that could be spent else where I will -as there is quite a bit of work to be done on the house as a whole. Do you think it could be done with paint painter or peel away 1? Which is the best for lime mortar? Although I do plan a repoint when the paint is removed

 

[accelerator]

What is the underlying problem you are trying to solve? Do you have rising damp inside the house?

 

[Kat183]

What is the underlying problem you are trying to solve? Do you have rising damp inside the house?

there is some penetrating damp in the hall way along that wall but I think that is because the air brick is too low- but this is because the floor level outside is too high.

I got the wall painted in summer but used zinsser all coat - not breathable. I want to remove before it causes damage as it is single brick lime mortar.

After removal I want to repoint and get an aco drain as floor level is too high.

Do you think I’m on the right path?

 

[opps]

I am a decorator, not a brickie...

Why is lime pointing being recommended? The upper part of the wall looks like it has been rendered with zero lime.

I believe the airbrick shows you where the DPC would be. I believe the DPC should be under the airbrick, but, yes you look like you need an acro drain.

Hydrofluoric acid will help to remove paint but it is a restricted product. If the bricks were unpainted before you applied the Zinnser, you can use cellulose thinners to soften the paint and then use a wire brush. Wear red PVC gloves though. The cheapest way to purchase cellulose thinners is to purchase the recycled gun cleaner grade

Eg https://www.spraygunsdirect.co.uk/product/leadingsolvents-standard-cellulose-thinners-5litres

 

[Kat183]

I am a decorator, not a brickie...

Why is lime pointing being recommended? The upper part of the wall looks like it has been rendered with zero lime.

I believe the airbrick shows you where the DPC would be. I believe the DPC should be under the airbrick, but, yes you look like you need an acro drain.

Hydrofluoric acid will help to remove paint but it is a restricted product. If the bricks were unpainted before you applied the Zinnser, you can use cellulose thinners to soften the paint and then use a wire brush. Wear red PVC gloves though. The cheapest way to purchase cellulose thinners is to purchase the recycled gun cleaner grade

Eg https://www.spraygunsdirect.co.uk/product/leadingsolvents-standard-cellulose-thinners-5litres

Thanks so much.

I put this originally in a different forum and it was moved to this one but I totally understand.

Because it’s single brick it has to be like mortar so it’s breathable, I had the rear elevation recently pointed and this was the advice I got. The render was there when I bought the house so although it’s not ideal it being there I’m stuck with it for now.

Thank you for your support with this

 

[accelerator]

Hi. I'm not expert level in damp issues but here are my thoughts:

- Your issue with damp is likely caused by the fact you have a big concrete slab right next to the house, with no drainage on it. This means water currently runs off your slab, and straight into your wall. There looks to be a gap between the slab and the wall in places.

- I don't think removing the paint will make much if any difference. Personally, I wouldn't have touched it. It looks nice, and it's not doing any harm. The fact that the painted height of the bricks might not be so breathable painted will be a negligible difference. What you have to focus on is preventing water pooling on your slab and going down your wall. It's the pooling water causing all your problems.

- You either need to fully waterproof the base of the wall against the pooling water, or you need better drainage for the slab. Personally I think I'd look at waterproofing the wall, as I wouldn't want a drain running along that wall. Or you could consider some square drains or something in the slab.

- You also need to ensure water isn't flowing into your airbrick, but I doubt this happens that often, as you'd need a couple of inches depth of water for this to happen.

Like I said I'm no expert, so others please comment on what I've said.

 

[Kat183]

Hi. I'm not expert level in damp issues but here are my thoughts:

- Your issue with damp is likely caused by the fact you have a big concrete slab right next to the house, with no drainage on it. This means water currently runs off your slab, and straight into your wall. There looks to be a gap between the slab and the wall in places.

- I don't think removing the paint will make much if any difference. Personally, I wouldn't have touched it. It looks nice, and it's not doing any harm. The fact that the painted height of the bricks might not be so breathable painted will be a negligible difference. What you have to focus on is preventing water pooling on your slab and going down your wall. It's the pooling water causing all your problems.

- You either need to fully waterproof the base of the wall against the pooling water, or you need better drainage for the slab. Personally I think I'd look at waterproofing the wall, as I wouldn't want a drain running along that wall. Or you could consider some square drains or something in the slab.

- You also need to ensure water isn't flowing into your airbrick, but I doubt this happens that often, as you'd need a couple of inches depth of water for this to happen.

Like I said I'm no expert, so others please comment on what I've said.

Thank you for looking at this. The floor is solid concrete with no slabs, or do you mean the concrete edging on the wall- I agree this is a problem.

There should be 3 bricks below the DPC which is where the air block is so I will need to get the floor lowered or an aco drain. I agree that water pooling next to the wall is a definite issue and am thinking an aco drain would resolve this?

 

[accelerator]

What I am saying is the cause of the problem is you have a big solid concrete slab, with no drainage from it anywhere, right up against the house. So, water will just run of the slab, under or around the concrete edging (which doesn't look waterproof), and straight down the side of the slab, i.e. into your wall base, so the wall base will be getting wet.

The options are:
- Waterproof the base of your wall against the pooling water, so no water can flow off the base into the wall (not sure exactly how this would be done, but I expect it's possible).
- Come up with a drainage system on the slab so that water cannot pool on the slab and won't run off it, e.g. a central drain or three.
- As you say, install an aco drain along the base of the wall, so water runs off the slab and into this.

The main point I'm making is that removing the paint from the wall is not required (and would make the wall even less waterproof). The damp problem is not caused by lack of breathability in the wall, it's caused by rainwater flowing into the wall off your slab. (In my opinion.)

 

[accelerator]

It would also be good to see pics of the damp inside the house, and to know where this damp is in relation to features like airbricks outside.

Also, check it's not a leaking pipe inside that is causing the damp.